The Apogee Buffet System made by CookTek was awarded a Silver EID in the Commercial Appliances category in Appliance Design magazine's 19th Annual Excellence in Design Competition. The product was designed by CookTek.

Like no other warming system, CookTek's Buffet System was designed to effectively hold and maintain separate, specific temperature stations. This system has been tailored to provide the user with the greatest accuracy and flexibility needed to run a buffet operation.

CookTek's Magnawave™ technology combined with SmarTag™ technology provides fast, easy, and adjustable heating for each induction station. An easy-to-read LCD display and capacitive touch panel allow for an array of options with 100 precise temperature settings. The glass surface is easy to clean and induction surface shuts off when no chafing dish is detected.

The Buffet System was designed to replace canned fuel, hot water pans, electronic heated systems and most other operationally and functionally inept systems. This system was created to maintain the food quality intended for a multi-station buffet while simultaneously providing a safer, more efficient experience for guests.

"The purpose of Appliance Design's annual design competition is to honor those designers who have excelled in meeting the modern challenge of harmoniously melding technology and industrial design," said Richard Babyak, editor.

An independent panel of three industrial design experts performed judging of the entries. Evaluation of the entries was based on four criteria: appearance, human factors, innovation and technical merits. A point scale was used to rank the designs for purposes of determining winners within a category and for naming the Best Overall. Designs were scored for each of the four criteria with a 1-10 point scale, allowing a maximum of 40 points per judge and a maximum possible score of 120 points.

The judges noted that the companies behind the honored entries demonstrated that they are serious about industrial design and showed that seriousness by attention to details and innovative approaches that sharply differentiated winning products from their competitors. Another common element found among the recognized products was the ability to make technology more accessible to the user.

Photos and descriptions of winners will appear in the May 2006 issue of Appliance Design magazine, in both the print, digital and online versions at www.appliancedesign.com. Appliance Design is a publication of BNP Media, Troy, Mich.

CookTek®, LLC, is a division of The Middleby Corporation (headquartered in Elgin, IL). Founded in 1994, CookTek® is a leading provider of induction cooking and heated delivery systems for commercial kitchens worldwide. Utilizing the latest induction technology to offer custom foodservice equipment and supply solutions, CookTek® is dedicated to innovative product development and superior customer service. CookTek® cooktops and heated delivery systems are manufactured in the United States. CookTek’s operations are located in Chicago, IL.

For more information on CookTek®, LLC, please call toll free at 1-888-COOKTEK or visit the company's website at www.cooktek.com.